The proposed research is a short-term, longitudinal, pilot study that examines the associations among racial and cultural processes, natural mentoring relationships (NMRs), and the academic outcomes of urban, low-income Latino adolescents (ULLAs). The aims of the current study are to: 1) examine how racial/cultural processes influence the development of NMRs among ULLAs, 2) investigate how NMRs influence the academic outcomes of ULLAs, 3) explore how the associations between NMRs and academic outcomes are mediated by racial/cultural processes among ULLAs, and 4) test an integrative conceptual model of the associations among NMRs, cultural processes, and academic outcomes. Four hundred Latino students at an urban public high school will be followed over a 2-year period to increase understanding of NMRs among ethnic minority adolescents, in particular the nature and extent of their associations with racial and cultural processes and academic outcomes. Participants will complete self-administered quantitative measures at the end of their 9th and 10th grades. Corresponding non-cultural variables will be assessed in order to distinguish the influence of cultural processes. Hierarchical Multiple Regression analyses will be conducted to fulfill the first three aims. The last aim will be accomplished by conducting structural equation modeling of the most strongly related variables based on previous analyses. The findings of the proposed study have applied implications as they can be used to promote the healthy development of Latino youth's relationships with non parental adults and to enhance current mentoring programs and other interventions, such as after-school programs, in which youth form relationships with adults. This study is related to the mission of the National Institute of Health by its focus on the healthy development of Latino adolescents in education, interpersonal processes, and the formation and maintenance of relationships in the area of mentoring. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The current study is concerned with preventing negative academic outcomes of urban, low- income Latino adolescents who have the highest high school dropout rate compared to any other racial/ethnic group.11 Preventing negative academic outcomes is important as academic outcomes are related to delinquent behavior, 15 substance use, 16 and mental health outcomes.17, 18 Mentoring relationships is one avenue of promoting positive academic outcomes.